Financially troubled Centegra Health System plans to eliminate 131 jobs and outsource another 230 positions, the northwest suburban hospital system announced Tuesday.

The layoffs and outsourcing come amid a time of financial stress for many hospitals nationwide and follow a year of steep losses for Centegra, which has hospitals in McHenry, Woodstock and Huntley.

For the year ended June 30, Centegra reported operating losses of $62.3 million, according to an unaudited financial statement. That’s in contrast with $4.3 million in operating profit in 2016. Centegra attributed much of those losses to the costs of opening 128-bed Centegra Hospital-Huntley last year, higher-than-expected write-offs for unpaid patient bills and serving more patients on Medicare and Medicaid.

Medical staff will not be affected by the layoffs, said Centegra spokeswoman Michelle Green. Before the announcement the system had about 4,000 employees.

Employees who lose their jobs, which will include support and administrative workers, will receive full pay and benefits for 60 days, Green said. The system also plans to outsource 230 positions to nThrive, a company that runs the system’s business office and information management department. All employees who are in those outsourced jobs will be offered positions with nThrive and continue working in their current locations.

Many hospitals in Illinois and across the country are facing similar financial pressures.

West suburban hospital system Edward-Elmhurst Health announced plans in August to cut $50 million in costs, also citing increasing numbers of Medicare and Medicaid patients and more patient bills going unpaid, among other things.

In May, Advocate Health Care announced it would make $200 million in cuts for many of the same reasons.

Centegra CEO Michael Eesley said in a memo to employees Tuesday that Centegra’s cuts will help it deal with those strains.

“The difficult decision to balance our workforce through a reduction will ensure our health system is financially viable for years to come,” Eesley wrote. “While this day marks a major step toward financial improvements, it brings change for people in a number of positions.”

Green declined to make Eesley available for an interview Tuesday.

Centegra is also shifting and consolidating services. Last month Centegra Hospital-Woodstock stopped accepting most inpatients in a move meant to save money and increase efficiency. The Woodstock hospital still is providing emergency room care and mental health crisis stabilization as well as inpatient behavioral health services and outpatient imaging and lab services. Most patients who need overnight stays or surgery are being transferred to other hospitals.

Centegra has filed applications with the state's Health Facilities and Services Review Board to make the change permanent.

That change had already affected the jobs of hundreds of employees, though most of those affected were relocated within the system. Ten employees lost their jobs.

The system also plans to add an additional nine intensive care beds and nine medical-surgical beds to Centegra Hospital-McHenry, and shift some services to the Woodstock hospital.

Centegra is still in talks to join Northwestern Medicine in a deal expected to close next year, said Christopher King, a Northwestern spokesman, in an email.